In the new season of Nobody Wants This on Netflix, viewers watch one of the most unsettling storylines unfold: Morgan’s relationship and eventual engagement to her former therapist, Dr. Andy. What begins as a therapeutic connection gradually turns into a deeply inappropriate and harmful dynamic. This storyline has sparked conversations about therapy ethics, boundaries, and how easily trust can be exploited when the professional relationship breaks down.
Therapy is meant to be a safe space, a place to heal, not a place to be harmed. When that boundary is crossed, the consequences can be deeply damaging.
Dating your therapist is unethical because of the power imbalance that exists within the therapeutic relationship. One person holds intimate knowledge of the other’s vulnerabilities, history, and trauma. This information was meant to heal, not to be used for personal gain.
As seen in the show, Dr. Andy manipulated Morgan by "using her childhood wounds against her to make her stay and feel loved." He only knew her desires and pain because she trusted him with them in therapy. Meanwhile, she knew nothing about him. This highlights the power differential that left her doubting herself and the relationship.
What makes this storyline even more disturbing is that Dr. Andy had done this before with another client. This reveals a pattern of poor boundaries and unethical behavior. It raises uncomfortable questions:
These concerns reflect how easily a therapeutic relationship can be exploited when boundaries are ignored.
The manipulation went further when Dr. Andy brought Morgan to couples therapy with his colleague, who sided with him. This reinforced Morgan's confusion and invalidation. It also highlighted how dangerous it becomes when professionals protect each other instead of their clients.
Scenes like this make viewers question therapy itself:
The truth is that it is rare, but serious enough that strict ethical guidelines exist to prevent it.
According to the APA Ethical Principles, the first rule is "Do no harm." Psychologists must safeguard the welfare and rights of the people they serve and avoid any misuse of influence.
Code 10.08 states:
"Psychologists do not engage in sexual intimacies with former clients for at least two years after therapy ends, and only under the most unusual circumstances."
Even after two years, the burden is on the therapist to prove that there has been no exploitation or harm.
Ultimately, it is our duty as mental health professionals to protect our clients, uphold boundaries, and put their wellbeing above everything else. When those safeguards fail, the entire field and the people we serve are put at risk.